Website Offers Services To Pasture-Based Farms

2015 - Volume #39, Issue #6, Page #23

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When Seven Sons Family Farm couldn’t find a website “shopping cart” for selling direct to customers, they hired software developers who made one from scratch. It worked so well they started offering “GrazeCart” to other pasture-based farms.
  “We sell products sold by weight, so you can’t take a credit card up front. You have to pack and weigh the order. Normal shopping carts couldn’t accommodate that,” explains Blaine Hitzfield, one of Seven Sons partners. “Also, we needed something for a local distribution system. We wanted them to order online and choose the location where they wanted to pick the order up. Plus we need to communicate pickup days and times.”
  Seven Farms invested tens of thousands of dollars to have the software developed and they have a developer on staff. The system has helped their Roanoke, Ind., farm grow to 4,000 customers in their tri-state area with 45 pickup sites.
  A year ago, Seven Sons made the software available to other producers through its sideline business, GrazeUp.
  “Eighty-percent of customers looking for grass-fed and niche proteins and organic foods turn to the Internet first,” Hitzfield says.
  Besides setting up a shopping cart, GrazeCart can take orders year round for later processing/delivery dates. It provides pickup options and dates for customers, whether it’s at the farm, processing plant or sites in area cities.
  GrazeCart is useful for farms of all sizes in urban and rural areas, Hitzfield says. For example, Paul and Gabe Brown in rural North Dakota (www.nourishedbynature.us) use the software to sell meat from their grass-fed livestock. They set up their first pickup location and added 4 more within a year. A large Florida operation (www.fullcirclerealfoods.com) added a new route with six drop locations and increased from 405 customers to 1,483 customer registrations in 7 mo. with the help of GrazeCart.
  “We license the software for $39 to $100-plus to farms,” Hitzfield says, explaining cost is based on amount of use. Costs increase as business grows, so it’s a fair approach for small and large operations.
  “Visibility is the biggest issue farmers have connecting with customers,” Hitzfield says, so GrazeCart also offers web design, branding, video, consulting and other services.
  The model works for Seven Sons, which has 10,000 to 13,000 visitors a month to its website. About 60 percent are new visitors, and 40 percent are returning customers. About 4 percent make purchases, which is about double the standard commerce conversion rate.
  “GrazeCart has helped us acquire a newsletter subscriber list of more than 6,000 weekly recipients,” Hitzfield says.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, GrazeUp, 15718 Aboite Rd., Roanoke, Ind. 46783 (ph 877 620-1977; www.grazecart.com; hello@grazeup.com).

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Website Offers Services To Pasture-Based Farms COMPUTERS When Seven Sons Family Farm couldn’t find a website “shopping cart” for selling direct to customers they hired software developers who made one from scratch It worked so well they started offering “GrazeCart” to other pasture-based farms “We sell products sold by weight so you can’t take a credit card up front You have to pack and weigh the order Normal shopping carts couldn’t accommodate that ” explains Blaine Hitzfield one of Seven Sons partners “Also we needed something for a local distribution system We wanted them to order online and choose the location where they wanted to pick the order up Plus we need to communicate pickup days and times ” Seven Farms invested tens of thousands of dollars to have the software developed and they have a developer on staff The system has helped their Roanoke Ind farm grow to 4 000 customers in their tri-state area with 45 pickup sites A year ago Seven Sons made the software available to other producers through its sideline business GrazeUp “Eighty-percent of customers looking for grass-fed and niche proteins and organic foods turn to the Internet first ” Hitzfield says Besides setting up a shopping cart GrazeCart can take orders year round for later processing/delivery dates It provides pickup options and dates for customers whether it’s at the farm processing plant or sites in area cities GrazeCart is useful for farms of all sizes in urban and rural areas Hitzfield says For example Paul and Gabe Brown in rural North Dakota www nourishedbynature us use the software to sell meat from their grass-fed livestock They set up their first pickup location and added 4 more within a year A large Florida operation www fullcirclerealfoods com added a new route with six drop locations and increased from 405 customers to 1 483 customer registrations in 7 mo with the help of GrazeCart “We license the software for $39 to $100-plus to farms ” Hitzfield says explaining cost is based on amount of use Costs increase as business grows so it’s a fair approach for small and large operations “Visibility is the biggest issue farmers have connecting with customers ” Hitzfield says so GrazeCart also offers web design branding video consulting and other services The model works for Seven Sons which has 10 000 to 13 000 visitors a month to its website About 60 percent are new visitors and 40 percent are returning customers About 4 percent make purchases which is about double the standard commerce conversion rate “GrazeCart has helped us acquire a newsletter subscriber list of more than 6 000 weekly recipients ” Hitzfield says Contact: FARM SHOW Followup GrazeUp 15718 Aboite Rd Roanoke Ind 46783 ph 877 620-1977; www grazecart com; hello@grazeup com

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